NHTSA Complaint #10459899 — 2005 FORD TAURUS

WHEN I LET MY FOOT OFF THE GAS PEDAL THE ENGINE CONTINUES TO ACCELERATE. I THOUGHT IT WAS THE FLOOR MAT CATCHING ON THE GAS PEDAL. ON SATURDAY MAY 12 I WAS COMING UP MY STREET AT ABOUT 25 MPH AND THE CAR WOULDN'T STOP AND I CAME ZOOMING INTO MY DRIVEWAY. I SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES AND PUT THE CAR INTO NEUTRAL AND THE ENGINE WAS RACING THEN I TURNED OFF THE KEY. WHEN I RESTARTED THE ENGINE THE PROBLEM WAS GONE. I CHECKED THE FLOOR MAT BUT I FOUND NO PROBLEM WITH THE MAT. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I WAS SURE THE FLOOR MAT WAS NOT THE PROBLEM. LAST WEEK MAY 24 2012 MY WIFE USED THE CAR AND SAID SHE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM AND IT WASN'T THE FLOOR MAT. YESTERDAY MAY 28, 2012 AS I APPROACHED A BUSY INTERSECTION WITH A STOP SIGN I LET MY FOOT OFF THE GAS PEDAL AND THE CAR CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE INTO THE INTERSECTION. BY THE TIME I COULD REACT I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE INTERSECTION. I JUST BARELY AVOIDED A COLLISION WITH POSSIBLE PERSONAL INJURY. THIS WAS THE LAST STRAW WITH THIS DANGEROUS PROBLEM, SO I PUT THE CAR IN MY GARAGE AND TOOK THE COVER OFF THE ACCELERATOR CONTROL LEAVER. I FOUND THE PROBLEM QUICKLY. THE CAUSE OF THIS UNINTENDED ACCELERATION IS THE CRUISE CONTROL CABLE HAS BECOME DISCONNECTED FROM THE THROTTLE LEAVER AND IS CATCHING ON THE THROTTLE LEAVER, SO THE LEVER CAN'T RETURN. I TRIED TO RECONNECT THIS CABLE BUT THE PLASTIC RETAINER ON THIS CHEAP CABLE HAS BECOME DEFECTIVE AND WILL NOT RECONNECT. I HAVE NOW TIED THE CABLE BACK SO IT CAN NOT INTERFERE WITH THE THROTTLE LEVER. I HAVE CONTACTED FORD ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND ISSUED A COMPLAINT. THERE ARE NO RECALLS REGARDING THIS ISSUE. THIS PROBLEM IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AND BEYOND THE SCOPE OF VEHICLE MAINTENANCE. THIS ISSUE COULD CAUSE A FATAL ACCIDENT TO AN UNSUSPECTING DRIVER. I HAVE DOCUMENTED THIS ISSUE WITH PHOTOGRAPHS. PLEASE CONTACT ME FOR A COPY OF THE PHOTO. *TR